Author Topic: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?  (Read 2304 times)

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rustudent

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Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« on: April 21, 2005, 07:40:32 AM »
Hello!

 My name is Ivan. I live in Russia. I am very interesting about wind and solar energy. About solar panels all is clear for me. But as my town situated at the coast of Japanese sea, we have a very fast winds (10-55 meters per second). I have found your site where you discuss many problems. I think that you have experience with different types of the wind generator's constructions. Please tell what can I use in my fast wind region.

 Best regards!

P.S. I hope that you will help me!!!
« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 07:40:32 AM by (unknown) »

bobanne

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2005, 02:16:50 AM »
hello from Australia Ivan and great to have you on board. Talk to Dan B i am sure he will respond to your call for help. There are many configurations and types of setups and many would love to have the types of wind power you have, it all depends on what you need, how you are going to go about it and voltage plus a couple of other things. You can buy ready made products but building the wind electricity makers is more enjoyable. All the best  


Bob

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 02:16:50 AM by bobanne »

rustudent

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2005, 03:04:20 AM »
 Dan B Do you hear me?

 Bobanne from Australia recommend me to ask you about configuration and types of wind generators. I think that you are real specialist in wind power!

 Here is my problem. Four months ago I have bought wind generator with delta type blades. After the first cyclone, that came from north, the wind speed was about 40 meters per hour, the blades and tower was damaged. By the way it was not the strongest wind that blows in my region. I heard that there is a wind generator with no blades, it drives by a some spiral. I wonder have heard about it and if you have heard please tell me about it.

Now what i have and what i need.

I have 48 V batteries, 48V DC to 220V AC inverter, charge controller.

I need the spiral or other wind generator type that will not be damaged with fast wind, that can give me 7 kW.

 Best regards!!!

P.S. I agree with Bobanne that hand made things are more enjoyable than commercial. I hope I can made my own, but the wind is very FAST.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 03:04:20 AM by rustudent »

wdyasq

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Gorlov
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2005, 07:17:21 AM »
Ivan,


This link will take you to a story of the Gorlov turbine: http://tinyurl.com/7dj3m


There has been speculation this would make a good wind turbine although I have never seen or heard of a successful large vertical axis wind turbine.


Good luck,

Ron

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 07:17:21 AM by wdyasq »
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ghurd

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2005, 08:09:01 AM »
Possibly a big alternator and smaller blades with a very low TSR?
« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 08:09:01 AM by ghurd »
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electrondady1

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2005, 08:28:20 AM »
search the net for "windside"  there in finland
« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 08:28:20 AM by electrondady1 »

nothing to lose

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2005, 08:30:59 AM »
I do not fully understand how strong your winds are maybe.

You may already know this also.


If the tower was damaged I would think you need a stronger tower, with such high wind speeds perhaps not a very tall tower.


If the blades were damaged, did you have a system to turn it out of winds (furling) that are too fast so that it will run slower or not at all. I have known many people that think a windmill is supposed to always face into the wind, that is not correct.

However they do not have a windmill either. It should turn away from heavy winds that are too strong, but not so far that it stops running, only so that it does not run too fast.


Did you have a good load on it to hold the speed of the blades down. If the gennie was free spinning with full charged batteries or disconnected it will over speed in fast winds and break something. This is one of the reasons we use dump loads, so the gennie still has to work to produce power even when the system is fully charged, this helps to keep it running at slower speeds in high winds like storms. When the batteries reach full charge any power made beyond that should be used for something, anything, like heating water or running motors so that the wind gennie still has to produce power and not free spin. Just shutting of the power to the batteries will cause it to spin freely way too fast. It is better to waste any extra un-needed power it may make than it is to disconnect it or let it run free.


 With such high winds could you use smaller blades? Less stress on all parts the smaller the blades are. Normally large blades are wanted because the wind is not so strong. Perhaps much smaller blades could produce plenty of power in your high winds, the same small blades may not work well in lower wind areas like here at my place but may work fine for you.


If all is done correct I would think the roof would come off the house before the windmill would break. I have seen that happen! Very bad storm destroyed a house, blew over large trees,  but the windmill was still running fine when the storm was over.


You say you need 7kw of power. I myself would use several smaller windgennies instead of trying to use one large one. If one breaks you still have power from the others. Maybe less chance of breaking smaller ones in such high winds also.

 If reasonable to do, I would try to use 7 gennies of 1kw each. Or 3-4  of 2kw each.


7KW is ALOT of power!! Do you mean per day average? 7kw is about Half my daily usage here.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 08:30:59 AM by nothing to lose »

troy

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2005, 12:10:03 PM »
As mentioned by others, I think you just need a conventional 3 blade wind turbine with an effective furling mechanism to partially rotate the blades away from the prevailing wind when windspeed gets too high.  The method perfected by Hugh Piggot is the one generally favored here.  Only one moving part in the furling mechanism, which is the tail.  


If you search this site for "furling" you will find much useful information.


Also, as mentioned, you MUST have a dump load so the turbine always has a load to prevent overspeeding, even when the batteries are charged.


Good luck and have fun!


troy

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 12:10:03 PM by troy »

rotornuts

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2005, 01:55:06 PM »
along troys line of thought you could experiment with setting the blades at a higher angle to regulate speed. Could be effective if you have consistent high winds.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 01:55:06 PM by rotornuts »

mungewell

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2005, 09:47:58 PM »
There is a commerical design from a Scotish company called Proven, see:

http://www.almac.co.uk/proven/wind%20products%201.htm


The blades are arranged downwind and they limit the power by coneing away from the tower, springs control the coneing. Maybe you can do something similar?


They recently posted that one of their windmill survived in 135mph winds (somewhere in Japan) without being broken. Don't know how much power it was generating at this speed.....


Simon.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2005, 09:47:58 PM by mungewell »

rustudent

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2005, 06:38:55 AM »
Thank you guys for hearing me. I am very glad.


7 gennies of 1 kW each is very expensive for me.

My friend told me that in Japan there are very cheap windgenerators and solar panels. Do you hear about it? Have you the link? Japan and China are very close from me. I can't find it by my self.


Of course the dump load was used. I spent surplus energy to heat the water.

I need 7 kW to drive three 1.7 kW water pumps, other energy supply the light.


The link that Simon gave me is very interesting. I have never seen before the configuration of blades like there. I hope that Zebedee blades will work with high winds. England is far from me.

« Last Edit: April 22, 2005, 06:38:55 AM by rustudent »

ghurd

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2005, 08:40:53 AM »
Japan is importing most their panels.

China panels are not very good.


India is making some small multi crystaline panels, 40 watts and under.

These are not bad, but small.


G-

« Last Edit: April 22, 2005, 08:40:53 AM by ghurd »
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wgatenson04

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2005, 10:10:13 AM »
Whatever the max power is, that is why it furls, so it won't put out to much power.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2005, 10:10:13 AM by wgatenson04 »

nothing to lose

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Re: Wind power in fast wind areas. Is it possible?
« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2005, 11:54:04 AM »
I thought it furls so the wind does not rip it apart or destroy the tower, many gennies can produce far more power than the blades at such high speeds can survive I think. And  the towers can only take so much force also.


Example may be the gennie in this post, did it burn out/fly apart or were the blades ruined?

 Blade design would be for the most average winds, excess high winds may rip them apart, but the gennie may still be producing power just fine at that time.

« Last Edit: April 22, 2005, 11:54:04 AM by nothing to lose »